Health, Safety and Environment
Climbing or Working From a BT or Joint User Pole
SAFETY NOTICE
Northern Home Counties Health & Safety Co-ordinators Committee
Chairperson: Chic McGlynn
Secretary: Tony Turner
Due to recent comments with regard to the lack of clarity or guidance on this issue we have reproduced below the latest instruction we have from the CWU Executive.
Branch Officials Bulletin 14 paragraph 215 reads
Members Working on the Overhead Network
Branch Officials Bulletin Number 11, Paragraph 185, advised Branch Officers of the
inquest into the fatal accident to Tara Whelan who was injured when a lorry struck
the Aerial Cable attached to a pole she was working on in May 2001. Tara suffered
severe head injuries and died a week later in hospital.
The T&FS Engineering Executive discussed a report into this from the T&FSE
Health Safety and Environment Sub Committee and asked the Sub Committee to give
further advice to Branches.
Branches are advised:
Those members working on the overhead network should ensure that before climbing
or working off any BT or Joint User pole you should as part of your individual
risk assessment:
- Measure the height of all BT overhead plant attached to the pole if safe to do so;
- Ensure that the minimum height of 6.6 metres is obtained for wires crossing high load routes and 5.5 metres for all other road crossings;
- If any wires or aerial cable are found to be low do not put yourself at risk, on any such occasion you should:
- Notify your field manager for a risk assessment to be undertaken and recorded;
- Insist on guidance and assistance if needed;
- If a low wire or aerial cable crosses a carriageway the engineer should hand back the job on grounds of safety.
This instruction is crystal clear and in our mind leaves no room for dubiety, the only safe way to work on these poles is if the road is closed to traffic.
Items a) and b) should be followed to enable the system for the defective pole to be dealt with. It is vitally important that the managers risk assessment is undertaken and recorded to have the defective pole input onto the hazard screen on the Work Manager system. Any problems in this area should be reported via the Branch Office.